Kate's Cancer Therapy Support Fund

Hi, I’m Hannah Borthwick, and I’m reaching out on behalf of my sister, Kate Borthwick. Kate has been battling high-risk, aggressive Multiple Myeloma, a type of blood cancer, since 2022. She was diagnosed at stage 3 at 37, after a long and painful journey of misdiagnoses. Myeloma is extremely rare in young patients, which delayed her diagnosis, and by the time it was found, her condition had already caused several vertebrae to collapse. Despite treatments like a stem cell transplant, her disease has been difficult to control.

There have been incredible strides in myeloma treatment, but many of the newer therapies—like bispecific antibodies and CAR T—aren’t available in South Africa and are prohibitively expensive, some costing over $560,000 (USD). Kate is about to receive a bispecific antibody that, while not registered locally, is our best hope right now. It will come with a large copayment, but we’re hopeful this treatment will be the breakthrough she needs. Unfortunately, she may soon run out of options locally.

In addition to the physical toll of the disease, Ka...